15 of the Very Best Self Care Ideas for Dads

When it comes to intentional self care as parents, most people would think of moms. You would think of mothers and how important it is to take time out for self care as a mother. However, dads also deserve to prioritise self care. The dads who really put in the time and effort to provide for their families in different ways deserve to devote time to intentionally addressing their physical and mental health. This is why self care ideas for dads are as much top priority in parenting as self care ideas for moms. 

In this article, you will find some of the most useful and practical self care ideas for dads which are also fun. Dads who are all about prioritizing fatherhood deserve to enjoy time to themselves to rejuvenate and in this article, you will find some great ways that they can do that.

Of course, these ideas can also give you ideas for dad’s birthday present. You will find some father’s day gift ideas here too.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning that I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. 

If you are here because you think your dad deserves the best gift for his self care, look no further. Clearly, your dad is one who has put in the work one way or the other and needs to be rewarded for it. It is not only moms who have spent a lot of their lives dealing with sleep deprivation in order to care for the kids.

Some dads face that too.

Sleep is a form of self care. How much of that self care do fathers get? How do dads practice self care by getting sufficient sleep?

RELATED: Motherhood and sleep deprivation

How much sleep do new dads get?

It would seem that, in reality and in contrast to what many moms might believe, new dads do not get as much sleep as you think.

In a 2013 study of 21 first time parent couples, their sleep was tracked by wrist trackers. It was found that the dads not only slept less than the moms, but they also experienced more sleepiness. 

New dads need support too. They need support in any way from financial worries to their spouse having postpartum depression (PPD) to marital stress with the introduction of baby to the home. 

So exactly what kind of support do fathers need then? What should you bear in mind to help a good dad to thrive?

3 Main Things that First Time Dads Need

1. Sleep aids

Based on the above, first time dads may need help with sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep is one of the things that can lead to dads experiencing postpartum depression. 

This means that anything that would aid them in getting better quality sleep, regardless of how short it is (which is frequently out of their control) would be invaluable.

2. Financial support

This can be in the form of re-strategizing the family budget, for example, and they may need the help of a financial advisor for this. It could also be career counselling to help them change the course of their career either to a different industry or to help them advance within their current career and organization.

3. Mental support

As discussed above, dads are susceptible to postpartum depression. They are also just as susceptible to postpartum anxiety. A new dad’s mental and emotional health problems can be brought on by the stress of having a new responsibility which they take very seriously. Mental support in the form of therapy or just being able to vent to family and friends is vital.

Spending time caring for mental health is just as important as caring for one’s physical health.

Based on the above most essential needs for new dads, here are some practical self care ideas for new dads.

15 Self care ideas for dads

If you are here as a new dad looking for ideas and tips for yourself, some of these will require you to make a purchase. Others will require you to be intentional about taking the time out to implement them. 

1. Watch a movie in a cinema. Getting the cinematic experience is vital to achieving self care with this tip! Enjoying that cinematic experience with a movie you really have been wanting to see will help to relax you and unleash your creativity as well.

2. Meal subscription. A meal subscription service that will provide you fresh products to cook with and makes it that much easier by using not-too-complicated recipes will be invaluable to any new dad in those early days. The act of cooking such quick meals can also be quite therapeutic. 

3. Back massager. Apart from carrying a lot of mental stress in our shoulder muscles, we also put a lot of stress on our backs. This is no less true for new dads. There is a lot of lifting involved in parenting! An effective back massager could be just what you need at the end of each long day.

4. Start journaling. Pouring your thoughts out onto paper could do wonders for your mental health. See some of the benefits of journaling here.

5. Schedule naps. And then actually nap. Use your nap time for nothing but sleep. 

6. Meditation. Spending some time in meditation has been shown to relieve stress. 

RELATED: Make the perfect self-care day routine

7. Get a head start on the day. Wake up a little earlier than the rest of the family to have some ‘me time’. Start work a little earlier maybe or have a cup of tea on your own. Maybe even go for a quick walk.

8. Take up a hobby. Give yourself something different and enjoyable to look forward to even if not daily at least weekly. It could be anything from writing to gardening to golfing. Spend time on a hobby where you exert some energy and it will be good for you both emotionally and physically.

9. Get a full physical check up. In a 2019 study of men having negative attitudes towards seeking medical care, almost two-thirds of men surveyed said they avoid seeing a doctor for as long as possible. If you are a new dad reading this, you are doing yourself a great disservice if you are like those men. Gift yourself a full health check.

10. Therapy subscription. Sign up to speak regularly with someone who is professionally trained to guide you through any mental and emotional issues you are struggling with.

11. Schedule family time. Prioritizing fatherhood the way that some new dads do means that they might get lost in the madness of day-to-day life and therefore miss out on really enjoying their family. Put time in your calendar for periods where you can truly enjoy spending time with your family. Even if it is as simple as all of you lying down in the same bed talking and laughing.

12. DIY jobs at home. Taking on do-it-yourself (DIY) projects around the house gives you the chance to be in close proximity to your family while also allowing you to focus on specific projects. Watching your vision come to life also gives a great sense of achievement that leaves you feeling fulfilled. Let us not forget that the mental and/or physical energy you put into your project will help you not only to feel good but also help you sleep better at night.

13. Smartwatch. In order to improve something, you have to first know that there is a problem and then be able to monitor it as you work on it. Smart watches are excellent self care gifts for dads because if you get a good one, they can track their sleep and heart health and therefore work on improving both.

14. Organize a guys’ night out. As a new dad, you can easily lose your sense of self. One of the easiest ways to prevent that or at least reel it in occasionally is to spend some time with your closest guy friends who knew you before you became a daddy. It helps you to remind yourself of the hopes and dreams you had before you had a baby and the things you should continue to work on.

15. Be realistic and open-minded. About what it means to be a father, husband and man. Be open-minded about what it means to be a provider for your family. Try to be realistic about what you are currently capable of so that you do not expect too much from yourself or give yourself pressure to do more than you are able to do. 

Know that none of these ideas are quick fixes. In order to feel good over time, you will have to put in the work and understand it may take a combination of the ideas proposed above. 

All the best and congratulations on being a new dad!